Roll retractor for roller drive mechanism

ABSTRACT

A roller drive agitating and spinning mechanism has an improved device for retracting a roller from the drive train when the roller is not transmitting power. The retractor device has a pad of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene which is springbiased against the roller surface of polyurethane at an angle to cause the roller to retract. The pad also serves to wipe wear debris and other foreign matter from the roller surface during operation of the mechanism to maintain the roller surface smooth and clean.

United States Patent 11 1 Bernard et a1.

ROLL RETRACTOR FOR ROLLER DRIVE MECHANISM Inventors: James A. Bernard,Dayton; Byron L. Bracken, Miamisburg, both of Ohio General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich.

Filed: Apr. 18, 1973 Appl. No.: 352,194

Assignee:

U.S. Cl 74/208, 34/85, 68/236, 74/665 K, 74/812 Int. Cl. Fl6h 13/00Field of Search 74/207, 208, 665 K, 812; 34/85; 68/23.6

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1871 Doncan ct a1. 34/85 3/1958Metz 34/85 Sept. 17, 1974 3,252,310 5/1966 Brackman et a1 (IX/23.63,287,942 1 1/1966 Brackman et a1 74/208 3,412,621 11/1968 Jacobs(iii/23.6 3,443,323 5/1969 Grantham 314/85 Primary Examiner-Samuel ScottAssistant Examiner-Randall Heald Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Frederick M.Ritchie [5 7] ABSTRACT A roller drive agitating and spinning mechanismhas an improved device for retracting a roller from the drive train whenthe roller is not transmitting power. The retractor device has a pad ofultra-high molecular weight polyethylene which is spring-biased againstthe roller surface of polyurethane at an angle to cause the roller toretract. The pad also serves to wipe wear debris and other foreignmatter from the roller surface during operation of the mechanism tomaintain the roller surface smooth and clean.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDSEPI 1 4 7 3.835.719 I saw 1 or 3ROLL RETRACTOR FOR ROLLER DRIVE MECHANISM This invention relates to adomestic appliance and, more particularly, to an improved roller drivemechanism for agitating and spinning in a clothes washer.

Roller drive mechanisms, such as taught in U.S. Pat. to Brucken No.3,087,321, issued Apr. 30, 1963, use certain self-energizing rollers asidler members between the motor and the driven member for producingeither agitate or spin. Such roller drive mechanism may include areversible motor, the reversibility of which determines whether agitateor spin is produced. Each of the rollers is provided with a resilienttire portion of polyurethane or the like as the motion transmittingsurface. During agitation, one of the rollers is in power transmittingrelationship while the other roller is overridden and merely idles.During the life of the roller, the surface of the tire portion maybecome tacky and wear unevenly due to the scuffing action on the tiresurface of the roller not transmitting power. Such scuffing isaggravated where the tire surface decomposes slightly due to hydrolysisor due to some unreacted resin working its way out of the tire onto thesurface thereof. This scuffing action tends to form flat spots on theroller tire. Moreover, such scuffing produces wear debris whichaccelerates tire wear. When this wear phenomenon occurs, a smoothdriving connection is lacking between the drive motor and the drivenmember with the result that the mechanism becomes noisy.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedroller retraction device for a roller drive mechanism of the typedisclosed in U.S. Pat. to Brackman et al. No. 3,287,942 issued Nov. 29,1966.

Another object of this invention is the provision in a roller drivespinning mechanism of a roller retraction device which wipes the rollersurface clean as the mechanism operates.

A more specific object of this invention is the provision in a rollerdrive agitating and spinning mechanism of a device for retracting apolyurethane-tired roller, said device including a pad of ultra-highmolecular weight polyethylene spring-biased against the tire to as sistin making the roller self-energizing and to wipe wear debris and otherforeign matter from the roller tire surface, thereby to maintain thetire surface smooth and clean.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view, partly in elevation, taken along linel--l in FIG. 2 to show the improved roller drive agitating and spinningmechanism of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top elevational view of the agitating and spinning mechanismof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a self-energizing roller taken along line3-3 in FIG. 4 and illustrating the roller retraction device of thisinvention;

FIG. 4 is a top elevational view of the roller retractor assembly;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 55 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view taken along line 66 in FIG. 3;and

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view, partly in elevation, of a clotheswasher provided with the improved roller drive agitating and spinningmechanism of this invention.

Refer now to FIG. 7 wherein a top-opening'clothes washer 20 isillustrated. The clothes washer includes a nested tub assembly 24. Theassembly includes an open-top, imperforate wall water container 26 and aperforate wall spin basket 28. Perforations are coextensive with thecylindrical sidewall of the spin basket. An annular plastic subtop 30 issealingly clamped to the open top of the water container 26. The subtopcircumscribes the open top of the water container and extends over a rim33 forming the top opening of the spin basket 28 to define an accesscollar 36 between the top opening in the clothes washer cabinet and thetop opening 33 of the spin basket.

The water container 26 and, thus, the tub assembly 24 is mounted on asuspension system more fully taught in U.S. Pat. to Brucken, No.3,493,118, issued Feb. 3, 1970. The tub assembly includes an agitator 44which with the spin basket 28 is connected in movement effectingrelationship to a drive mechanism or movement effecting means showngenerally at 50. The drive mechanism may be of a roller-drive typetaught more fully in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,087,321. Ingeneral, mechanism 50 may be operated through a re versible motor 52 inone manner to vertically reciprocate or oscillate the agitator 44 forwashing clothes in the tub assembly. When mechanism 50 is operated inanother manner, the spin basket 28 is rotated with respect to the watercontainer 26 for centrifuging washing fluid from the clothes in the spinbasket.

A peripheral fill system is carried and supported on the annular plasticsubtop 30. The under side of the subtop includes a pair of integral ribs54, 56 which define a channel to receive a flexible fill tube 60arranged around the top opening 33 of the spin basket and adapted todirect a series of fan-shaped sprays downwardly into the spin basket.For additional details regarding the peripheral fill system for clotheswasher 20, reference may be had to U.S. Pat. to Fish et al., No.3,663,975, issued May 23, 1972.

Roller drive mechanisms for selectively spinning a tub and reciprocatingor oscillating an agitator are taught in the aforementioned Bruckenpatent; in Sisson U.S. Pat. No. 3,060,712 issued Oct. 30, 1962,3,165,911 issued Jan. 19, 1965, and 3,174,596 issued Mar. 23, 1965; andin Fosler and Fosler et a1. U.S. Pat. No. 3,223,211 and 3,314,257 issuedDec. 14, 1965, and Apr. 18, 1967, respectively.

This invention is directed to an improved roller retractor device of thetype taught in the aforementioned Brackman et a1. patent. Such retractordevices are for use in combination with a train of motion transmittingrollers in roller drive mechanisms and provide for removal of the rollernot driving, in response to the direction of motor rotation, therebyeliminating tire wear due to scuffing of the tread thereof.

Turning now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, the agitating and spinning mechanism 50will now be described more particularly. The mechanism includes ahorsepower, split phase, single speed, 1,725 r.p.m., four pole, re-

versible motor 52. The motor 52 has a motor shaft 70 drivably connectedby belt 72 to pulley 74 on reversible power or drive shaft 76. Powershaft 76 has a spin portion or spin driver 78 and a reduced diameteragitate portion or agitate driver 80. At the bottom of the power shaftis a drain pump 82 adapted through impeller 83 in one direction ofrotation to pump water from tub 26 to drain through conduits 84 and 86.Suitable bearings 88, 90 journal the power shaft in a mechanism support92.

On the same general plane as the spin driver 78 is a spin driven rollermeans or spin wheel 94 of the type taught in the aforementioned Fosleret al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,257, while an agitate wheel or agitate drivenroller means 96 lies in the same plane as the agitate driver 80.lnterposed between the agitate driver 80 and the agitate wheel 96 is theagitate roller or idler 98, springloaded and laterally floating to makeit self-energizing according to the concept of the aforementionedBrucken US. Pat. No. 3,087,321. Similarly, a selfenergizing spin rolleror idler 100 lies between the spin driver 78 and the spin wheel 94.

In general, operation of pulley 74 and power shaft 76 in the directionof the solid arrows (FIG. 2) will drive the agitate wheel 96 through theagitate roller 98 this driving motion being translated intoreciprocation of agitate shaft 104. Conversely, with power shaft 76reversed as shown by the dashed arrows, the roller 100 will be drawninto a wedging driving connection between the spin drive member 78 andthe spin wheel 94 to rotate the spin shaft 106.

In roller drive mechanisms one idler roller, due to overrunning, mayscuff against the surface of its respective wheel while the other rolleris in the power train transmitting the driving force. This scuffingaction may create wear problems and produce wear debris on the surfaceof the tire of the non-driving roller. Other foreign matter in theenvironment of the washer and/or working out of the roller tire itselfmay find its way onto the roller surface. In this invention an improvedroller retractor device shown generally at 110 solves these problems bywithdrawing the non-driving roller from scuffing engagement with itsrespective driven wheel whenever the roller is being overrun and, at thesame time, wiping the roller surface clean.

At this point, it should be noted that the retractor device 110 is shownonly on the spin roller 100 although it could as well be used with theagitate roller 98.

The roller retractor assembly 110 will now be described with referenceto FIGS. 3-6. The assembly is comprised of a spin roller 100 which has apolyurethane tire 112 molded onto an aluminum die cast insert 114.Asintered bronze bushing 116 is pressed into the insert to form a hubfor the roller.

For supporting the roller 100 the retractor assembly includes a U-shapedsupport bracket 120 having an upper support arm 122 and lower supportarm 124 held apart at their terminal or distal ends by a spool-likespacer sleeve 126. Sandwiched between the arms 122, 124 are a pair ofpivot arms or links 130, 132, an upper pivot arm 130 having a socketportion 134 for rotatably journaling the upper end 136 of the bushing116 while the socket portion 138 of the lower pivot arm 132 journals thelower end 140 of the bushing. A bowed bronze washer 141 provides thecorrect balance of tension in the clearance gap so the pivot arms mayslidably shift relative to the bracket without rattling. The diameter ofthe bushing 116 is oversized relative to the spacer sleeve 126 toprovide a sloppy fit. In view thereof the socket portions of the pivotarms as well as the roller journaled therein are permitted to shift inall lateral directions around the spacer sleeve.

Elongated slots 144, 146 are formed in the upper and lower bracket arms122, 124, respectively, to form a pivot point for the pivot arms. Theupper and lower pivot arms have socketed end portions 148, 150,respectively, slidably movable within the respective slots. Helicallycoiled spin roller tension springs 152, 154 extend between the socketedends of the pivot arms and bracket to bias the spin roller and itsbushing 116 toward the spacer sleeve 126, i.e., to make the rollerself-energizing. A leaf spring is attached to the outside of the supportbracket by rivets 162 and also helps to make the roller self-energizing.Lanced-out tangs 164 cooperate with holes 166 in aligning the leafspring with the bracket.

On the distal end of leaf spring 160 is a pad 170 adapted to bearagainst the outer surface of the roller tire 1 12. The pad is ultra-highmolecular weight polyethylene marketed by Dixon Corporation under thetrademark PENLON. Generally, pad 170 engages the roller tire surfacealong a straight line. However, a slight contour may develop during therun-in of the agitate and spin mechanism, after which the pad hassubstantially no wear rate. Leaf spring 160 is adapted to provideapproximately 16 to 18 ounces of force against the roller surface. Thisforce is not critical. The guidelines are merely that if the force istoo light, the pad will have no effect; whereas if the force is tooheavy, there will be excessive pad wear.

With reference to FIG. 1, the retractor assembly 110 is attached tosupport 92 of the mechanism by a bolt 174 which extends through thespacer sleeve 126 of the roller 100 and threadedly engages the support.A tang 176 struck upwardly from the support bracket arm 120 extends intoa hole or notch 178 in the support to position the retractor assemblyrelative to the spin driver 78 and spin wheel 94.

Bosses, such as 180 and 182, on pivot arm 130, 132, respectively, extendthrough the respective slots 144 and 146 in the support bracket toprovide the pivot point about which the pivot arms move when the spinroller 100 retracts.

The operation of the roller retractor device 110 is best understood withreference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The purpose of the improved device is toeliminate the wear on the tire surface of the spin roller 100 byretracting the roller. This eliminates the scuffing action of the roller100 against the wheel 94 which would occur in an overrunningrelationship therebetween. The improved device also wipes the tiresurface as the roller rotates so that foreign matter will not accumulateand accelerate tire wear.

AGITATE OPERATION For agitate operation, the motor 52, pulley 74 andpower shaft 76 rotate counterclockwise (FIG. 2). The agitate driver 80,being keyed to the power shaft, drives the agitate roller 98. Theagitate roller is pushed into light contact with both the agitate driver80 and agitate wheel 96 by the agitate roller tension springs 152, 154.

As the shaft starts to rotate, the floating action of the roller on itsspacer permits the roller to be pulled by rotational force into positivecontact with the surfaces of the agitate driver 80 and the agitate wheel96. Thus, the rotational torque of the motor is transmitted through theagitate roller to cause the agitate wheel to rotate clockwise. Duringagitation operation the spin roller 100 also rotates, being driven bythe spin driver 78. However, due to the direction of motor rotation, theangle of force of pad 170 on the spin roller, and the floating action ofthe roller on its spacer, the rotational force imparted by the spindriver pushes the spin roller out of contact with the spin wheel 94. Thespin wheel remains stationary during the agitate period.

SPIN OPERATION For spin operation, the motor 52, pulley 74 and powershaft 76 rotate clockwise (FIG. 2). The spin driver 78, being keyed tothe power shaft, drives the spin roller 100.

The spin roller is pushed into light contact with both the spin driverand the spin wheel 94 by the spin roller tension springs 152, 154 andleaf spring 160. As the motor starts to rotate, the floating action ofthe spin roller on its spacer 126 permits the roller to be pulled byrotational force into positive contact with the surfaces of the spindriver 78 and the spin wheel 94. Thus, rotational torque of the motor istransmitted through the power shaft and spin roller to cause the spinwheel to rotate clockwise to spin the tub 28. During spinning operation,the agitate roller 98 is being driven by the agitate driver 80. However,due to the direction of rotation of the motor and power shaft and thefloating action of the roller on its spacer, the roller tends to bepushed away from the agitate wheel 96. Thus, the agitate roller is inextremely light contact with the agitate wheel and the agitate wheeldoes not rotate.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is:

1. In an agitating and spinning mechanism comprising two shaft meansconcentrically arranged, support means for said shaft means, spin drivenroller means drivably connected to one of said shaft means for rotatingsaid one of said shaft means, means drivably connected to the other ofsaid shaft means for motivating said other of said shaft means includingagitate driven roller means rotatably carried by said support means,reversible power shaft means, first self-energizing roller meanslaterally movable with respect to said spin driven roller means and saidpower shaft means for selectively wedgingly engaging said spin drivenroller means and said power shaft means to motion transmittingly connectsaid power shaft means with said spin driven roller means when saidpower shaft means is operating in one direction for inducing spinning,and second self-energizing roller means laterally movable with respectto said agitate driven roller means and said power shaft means forselectively wedgingly engaging said agitate driven roller means and saidshaft means to motion transmittingly connect said power shaft means withsaid agitate driven roller means when said power shaft means isoperating in the reverse direction for inducing agitating, one of saidfirst or second selfenergizing roller means including an. idler rollerand means for moving said idler roller out of wedging engagement withits respective driven roller means in response to the direction ofoperation of said power shaft means, the improvement wherein said meansfor moving said idler roller out of said wedging engagement in cludes aretractor pad biasingly, slidably engageable with the outerdrivingvsurface of said idler roller opposite from said power shaft andgenerally between said respective driven roller means and said powershaft, said pad in response to the biasingly, slidable engagementthereof with the outer driving surface of said idler roller for movingsaid idler roller also engaging said outer surface in a mannersufficiently coextensive therewith to wipe said outer surface free ofwear debris, thereby to maintain said outer surface smooth and clean.

2. In a spinning mechanism comprising spin shaft means, support meansfor said spin shaft means, spin driven roller means drivably connectedto said spin shaft means for rotating said shaft means, power shaftmeans operable in a first and second manner, selfenergizing roller meansmovable with respect to said spin driven roller means and said powershaft means for selectively wedgingly engaging said spin driven rollermeans and said power shaft means to motion transmittingly connect saidpower shaft means with said spin driven roller means when said powershaft means is operating in a first manner for inducing spinning, saidselfenergizing roller means including a rotatable idler roller and meansfor moving said idler roller out of wedging engagement with the spindriven roller means in response to the operation of said power shaftmeans in said second manner, the improvement wherein said means formoving said idler roller out of said wedging engagement includes aretractor pad biasingly, slidably engageable with the outer drivingsurface of said idler roller opposite from said power shaft means andgenerally between said spin driven roller means and said power shaftmeans, said pad in response to the biasingly, slidable engagementthereof with the outer driving surface of said idler roller for movingsaid idler roller also engaging said outer surface in a mannersuffrciently coextensive therewith to wipe said outer surface free ofwear debris as said idler roller rotates, thereby to maintain said outersurface smooth and clean.

3. The spinning mechanism of claim 2 wherein said self-energizing rollermeans includes a U-shaped bracket holding said idler roller between thedistal ends thereof and wherein said pad is carried on a leaf springextending from the base of said bracket toward said idler roller.

4. The spinning mechanism of claim 3 wherein the outer surface of saididler roller is part of a polyurethane tire and said retractor pad isultra-high molecular weight polyethylene having a dimension as wide asthe outer surface of said idler roller.

5. A roller retractor assembly for a roller drive mechanism comprisingbracket means adapted to be affixed adjacent a train of motiontransmitting roller means, said bracket means having spacer means andmeans forming a pivot point, pivot arm means having a journal portionand a socketed pivot portion, an idler roller journaled in said journalportion and having hub means larger in diameter than said spacer meansand around said spacer means, a retractor pad parallel to the axis ofsaid idler roller and movable toward and away from said idler roller,and means for biasing said retractor pad into engagement with the outerdriving surface of said idler roller and for biasing said pivot armmeans away from said bracket means and adapted thereby for movementtoward said train of motion transmitting roller means, whereby thedirection of rotation of said idler roller will determine the directionsaid pivot arm means will pivot about the pivot point in said bracketmeans thereby to add the idler roller to said train of motiontransmitting roller means or to retract said idler roller therefrom,said pad in response to the biasing thereof into engagement with theouter driving surface of said idler roller also engaging said idlerroller along a line on the outer surface thereof sufficient to wipe saidouter surface free of wear debris, thereby to mainbracket means.

1. In an agitating and spinning mechanism comprising two shaft meansconcentrically arranged, support means for said shaft means, spin drivenroller means drivably connected to one of said shaft means for rotatingsaid one of said shaft means, means drivably connected to the other ofsaid shaft means for motivating said other of said shaft means includingagitate driven roller means rotatably carried by said support means,reversible power shaft means, first self-energizing roller meanslaterally movable with respect to said spin driven roller means and saidpower shaft means for selectively wedgingly engaging said spin drivenroller means and said power shaft means to motion transmittingly connectsaid power shaft means with said spin driven roller means when saidpower shaft means is operating in one direction for inducing spinning,and second selfenergizing roller means laterally movable with respect tosaid agitate driven roller means and said power shaft means forselectively wedgingly engaging said agitate driven roller means and saidshaft means to motion transmittingly connect said power shaft means withsaid agitate driven roller means when said power shaft means isoperating in the reverse direction for inducing agitating, one of saidfirst or second self-energizing roller means including an idler rollerand means for moving said idler roller out of wedging engagement withits respective driven roller means in response to the direction ofoperation of said power shaft means, the improvement wherein said meansfor moving said idler roller out of said wedging engagement includes aretractor pad biasingly, slidably engageable with the outer drivingsurface of said idler roller opposite from said power shaft andgenerally between said respective driven roller means and said powershaft, said pad in response to the biasingly, slidable engagementthereof with the outer driving surface of said idler roller for movingsaid idler roller also engaging said outer surface in a mannersufficiently coextensive therewith to wipe said outer surface free ofwear debris, thereby to maintain said outer surface smooth and clean. 2.In a spinning mechanism comprising spin shaft means, support means forsaid spin shaft means, spin driven roller means drivably connected tosaid spin shaft means for rotating said shaft means, power shaft meansoperable in a first and second manner, self-energizing roller meansmovable with respect to said spin driven roller means and said powershaft means for selectively wedgingly engaging said spin driven rollermeans and said power shaft means to motion transmittingly connect saidpower shaft means with said spin driven roller means when said powershaft means is operating in a first manner for inducing spinning, saidself-energizing roller means including a rotatable idler roller andmeans for moving said idler roller out of wedging engagement with thespin driven roller means in response to the operation of said powershaft means in said second manner, the improvement wherein said meansfor moving said idler roller out of said wedging engagement includes aretractor pad biasingly, slidably engageable with the outer drivingsurface of said idler roller opposite from said power sHaft means andgenerally between said spin driven roller means and said power shaftmeans, said pad in response to the biasingly, slidable engagementthereof with the outer driving surface of said idler roller for movingsaid idler roller also engaging said outer surface in a mannersufficiently coextensive therewith to wipe said outer surface free ofwear debris as said idler roller rotates, thereby to maintain said outersurface smooth and clean.
 3. The spinning mechanism of claim 2 whereinsaid self-energizing roller means includes a U-shaped bracket holdingsaid idler roller between the distal ends thereof and wherein said padis carried on a leaf spring extending from the base of said brackettoward said idler roller.
 4. The spinning mechanism of claim 3 whereinthe outer surface of said idler roller is part of a polyurethane tireand said retractor pad is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylenehaving a dimension as wide as the outer surface of said idler roller. 5.A roller retractor assembly for a roller drive mechanism comprisingbracket means adapted to be affixed adjacent a train of motiontransmitting roller means, said bracket means having spacer means andmeans forming a pivot point, pivot arm means having a journal portionand a socketed pivot portion, an idler roller journaled in said journalportion and having hub means larger in diameter than said spacer meansand around said spacer means, a retractor pad parallel to the axis ofsaid idler roller and movable toward and away from said idler roller,and means for biasing said retractor pad into engagement with the outerdriving surface of said idler roller and for biasing said pivot armmeans away from said bracket means and adapted thereby for movementtoward said train of motion transmitting roller means, whereby thedirection of rotation of said idler roller will determine the directionsaid pivot arm means will pivot about the pivot point in said bracketmeans thereby to add the idler roller to said train of motiontransmitting roller means or to retract said idler roller therefrom,said pad in response to the biasing thereof into engagement with theouter driving surface of said idler roller also engaging said idlerroller along a line on the outer surface thereof sufficient to wipe saidouter surface free of wear debris, thereby to maintain said outersurface smooth and clean.
 6. The retractor assembly of claim 5 whereinsaid idler roller has a polyurethane tire and said retractor pad isultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.
 7. The retractor assembly ofclaim 5 wherein said means for biasing includes a leaf spring betweensaid pad and said bracket means and a coil spring between the socketedpivot portion of said pivot arm and said bracket means.